Being made redundant can be like losing a loved one. But it doesn't meanthat life is over. For some people, it is even a welcome chance for a newbeginning, writes Anne Dempsey.

After a golden decade, redundancy is back in the news. The pictures we thought were banished have returned to our screens: locked factory gates, bewildered workers, trenchant trade unionists. Last month about 173,000 people signed on the live register, a 9 per cent increase over April last year. FÁS, which traces the rise in unemployment to early 2000, predicts that at least 100,000 people will still be out of work at the end of the year. But redundancy can also mean a new beginning.

The entrepreneur

When Sue O'Neill lost her job 10 years ago, aged 27, she saw it as a chance to be her own boss. "It was a small graphic-design company, and when it folded there was no money for redundancy. I had lots of ideas and wanted to put them into practice. I felt the way forward was to broaden our base. The first thing I did, and one of the best, was to hire an accountant. He was very helpful and gave me lots of good advice, which I took."

O'Neill had studied print technology at Dublin Institute of Technology, then worked in graphic design here and for a print brokerage in Australia, which sourced a complete design service for clients. "This company made a lot of money. It wasn't rocket science and showed me the potential of this approach."

Her company, Generation, opened in three small rooms with a staff of three. "I knew some of the existing clients would stay with me. This was double edged, however, as I needed them more than they needed me, so some took advantage and negotiated very keen rates. It meant I had no bargaining power, but it also gave me a spur to succeed so that I could renegotiate fairer terms, which I duly did."

Today the company offers a complete client package, covering graphic and web design, advertising and marketing, working from pleasant premises off Baggot Street in Dublin with a staff of 10. "One of the other good decisions I made was to do a two-year Irish Management Institute business-development course. I am a shy person; the learning and interaction on the course was very helpful. I am a good organiser and hugely more confident today than I used to be," says O'Neill.

She is married with a six-year-old son, Eoghan. "My husband, Eddie, has been very supportive, both in believing in me and understanding if I am home late, which happened a lot in the early days. Running your own business has become more difficult today, due mainly to increased overheads, particularly insurance, so the margins are thinner.

"I don't envy anyone starting up now. In a way I fell into it, and, looking back, I was lucky that things happened as they did. On the other hand, there is no good time to have a go, and I would say to someone today, if you have an idea of what you want to do, have a shot but be level headed. Running a company is common sense. It's about getting the job done well and paying the bills."

The tree surgeon

"I laugh when I think of the expression 'Life begins at 40'," says Liam McGuinness, "because in my case it's probably true." Last June, aged 39, he negotiated a redundancy package as a middle manager with his dotcom employer before the company sharply downsized. "While the process of leaving was fraught with anxiety and some self-doubt, there was a sense of opportunity. The mortgage was at a manageable level, and I knew we could survive."

McGuinness's wife, Tanya O'Brien, a horticulturist with her own landscape, design and garden-management business, had spent more time at home since the birth of their daughter, Aoife, two years ago and was now planning to return to work full time.

"I realised this is the world I wanted to work in," says McGuinness. "I love the outdoors and have enjoyed helping Tanya out over the years. In planning, she has wonderful vision in terms of how a garden will look, not only next year but in 10 years' time. We decided I should undertake a course of horticultural training, focusing on hard landscaping and specialist tree skills to complement her expertise."

So last autumn he began a sharp learning curve, starting with practical training in all aspects of tree surgery, followed by training in hard landscaping, including dry stone walling and excavator operation. He is now studying for a qualification in arboriculture: tree planting, maintenance, development and safety.

"We open for business in June. Tanya works in the domestic market, designing and maintaining some large gardens and estates. We plan to continue in this area and take on a number of special projects, together offering a broader range of skills.

"I love the beauty and simplicity of traditional stone walling. The tree-related courses have been concerned with function, safety, but my arboriculture studies will help develop my relationship with trees and, hopefully, an expertise in specialist trees and shrubs.

"I see the new business as a way of spending time together rather than going our separate ways at 7 a.m. and not seeing each other again until 12 hours later. There have been adjustments. At the beginning I was so wrapped up in the new adventure and my own corporate approach that I didn't realise that I was, in fact, joining Tanya's business. We have had a lot of talking and listening and need to continue that so we can be aware of each other's sensitivities at this time of change."

The volunteer

There's a large blue school bus in Tamil Nadu, in south-east India, with Glynnis Rea's name on the side. When she was made redundant last year from the accounts department of a domestic-appliance company, Rea (49) decided to work in a Third World country.

"I've always wanted to go away like that, and to be honest my motives were for me rather than any good I might do. I hoped I might help some children speak English. David, my husband, encouraged me to use my redundancy to do it. I chose India to develop my yoga, do some trekking and learn more about Indian cooking, none of which happened."

She contacted Teaching & Projects Abroad in London and was given a three-month assignment at Rajathi English School. So she flew to Madras, then had a seven-hour journey to Tirunelveli, a large, rather down-at-heel town, on a train whose passengers sat with their names and ages pasted to the windows. She lived in the home of the school's principal, Mr Augustine (who called her Miss Glynnis), his wife and their three sons.

"During the first week I wondered would I be able to stay there. There was no place for my things. I had been given one of the two family bedrooms, with the rest of the family sleeping in the other. The boys' clothes were in my room; they had no idea of privacy as we have and would just walk in and out. Also, I missed David terribly and at the beginning used to cry down the phone."

She taught four- to 11-year-old children, using games, drama, crafts and play to improve their English (endearingly, before her arrival, toes were known as foot fingers). She took each weekend off to explore. She told friends back in Ireland about the difference a bus would make - and they raised €3,500 to buy one. It replaces a rickshaw. Now the school can take children from a wider area, leading, with luck, to expansion to post-primary level.

Rea returned home before Christmas last year. "When we opened my hall door, I was overcome with the luxury in which I lived. The walls glowed with colour, there was carpet on the floor, flowers, perfumes and lotions in the bathroom. I couldn't get over it at first." She is still in touch with the school and feels the links will endure.

Back at work in Ireland, in the accounts department of a confectionery company, she has taken on new voluntary work and would like to go to the developing world again. "I learnt I can be on my own and that I can be brave. I am so glad I did it."

"Redundancy can be like a bereavement," says Tom McGuinness of the Irish Productivity Centre, which helps companies to manage change. "For many of us, what we do is part of who we are. There are also practical worries for the future. How it is handled also has a bearing on how you feel. Many workers first hear of their company's difficulty through the media, which can add to the trauma.

"So you need to acknowledge these feelings and push through to look at new areas. It's useful to have access to a career counsellor, who helps you assess your plans, skills and talents. Companies often provide this for employees. It can be a cost-effective exercise, and if this service is not provided you could ask for it.

"Looked at in this light, redundancy can be the start of something new and may have positive aspects. Your redundancy package may allow you take some time out to assess your skills. This is not a 1980s-type recession. Many companies are outsourcing. People may decide to start their own business. Advice on your future may be available from your local enterprise board, from FÁS, from your community-welfare officer. Taking good advice helps you see the whole picture more clearly and identify where the opportunities might lie."